Year of release: It was created in 1961 and re-launched again in 2000
Classification: Woody Aromatic
Nose: Jean-Paul Guerlain, who's created other masculine classic at Guerlain such as Habit Rouge and Heritage. He was the last of the family master perfumers, being the fourth generation Guerlain to work as the master perfumer of the brand. He retired as the head perfumer in the early 2000s and stayed on as advisor but removed from the Guerlain brand in 2010 for racist remarks made on French TV regarding his inspiration for one his classic perfumes Samsara.
Top Notes: Bergamot, Tobacco, Lemon, Nutmeg, Neroli, Coriander, Mandarin Orange
Heart Notes: Vetiver, Pepper, Carnation, Sage, Orris Root, Sandalwood
Base Notes: Vetiver, Oakmoss, Leather, Myrrh, Civet, Tonka Bean, Amber
My take:
- Opens with a beautiful fresh bergamot infused with bright, green vetiver. The vetiver at this stage, is the fresh and bright variety, giving off a lovely classy gentlemanly vibe
- As the scent develops into the heart, you get a whisper of warmness, a slightly warm spice that starts to cream through, this is coming from the note of tobacco, which joins the fresh vetiver
- Deep into the drydown, pass the 6 hour mark, the scent is all about the vetiver, which now is more dry and rooty, with a hint of green brightness.
Longevity: Around 8-10 hours
Projection: The projection is nice and strong for the first 3 hours, after which starts to came down, however still very noticeable.
Season: This is perfect for spring, which is it's ideal season, it works best when it's nice and sunny, but the weather is not too hot. It can also work really well in autumn/fall. I would personally avoid this in the high heat, only because of the warmness of the tobacco the woodiness in the drydown which would be feel cloying in the high heat, but if it's a cooler summer day - say less than 20°C, this could work fine. There's no reason why you couldn't wear this in the winter, but there's better scents out there that cut through the cold.
Occasion: I think this works best as a day time scent, for work and formal. It's a classy gentlemanly scent, so works when you've worn a shirt or dress smartly best. It can no doubt work as a casual scent, but this scent deserves a wear when you're dressed well. This could make a solid signature scent.
Rating: 8/10
